Punjab to get a luxury train soon

In yet another project, a textile park is to be inaugurated in Ludhiana by 2010 which is likely to boost business ventures in the state.

Also, the state government will decide the fate of 18 IT SEZ projects in a high profile meeting scheduled Tuesday.

Luxury train to run on Punjab’s landscape soon
The central government has approved a project of a luxury train "Incredible India - Punjab Luxury Train" which is expected to give a new dimension to the state’s tourism.

Reportedly, a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) of the project had been already signed between the Indian Railways and the Punjab government on Oct. 1, 2008. The luxury train project will cost an estimated amount of Rs. 29 crore.

"The total estimated cost of this project would be Rs 29 crore, out of which the Union Tourism Ministry would contribute Rs 7.25 crore, while Indian Railways Catering Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Government of Punjab would equally contribute the remaining amount," said state Tourism and Culture Minister Hira Singh Gabria.

The proposed route of the luxury train would be Delhi-Amritsar-Anandpur Sahib-Patiala-Kurukshetra- Jaipur-Agra and Delhi, as stated by an official source.

Punjab Heritage and Tourism promotion Board would work on the interior furnishing of this luxury train, informed Gabria.

Ludhiana to set up a textile park
A textile park, to be inaugurated in 2010, is all set to grace the industrial map of Ludhiana.

The empowerment committee of the Punjab government had approved the setting of the textile park in 2006.

Spread in area of 60 acres, the park would be a cluster of 90 units of knitwear and textile industry with an investment of Rs 1,500 crore.

The industrialists are speculating that it will significantly enhance domestic business projects and would generate employment opportunities for nearly 125000 people in the state.

Ajit Lakra, a member of the knitwear association said, "If the project is completed in time, the industry can expect benefit as already the project has taken so much time. We expect the government to lend their full support."

State government to review IT SEZ projects
In a major decision to be taken at a meeting Tuesday, the Punjab government is all set to review 18 IT SEZ (Special Economic Zone) projects and IT parks across the state in the light of the Industrial Policy-2009.

Through this move, the government intends to seek explanations from those companies who have yet not presented their projects.

The state government Punjab has received seven IT SEZ proposals with a proposed investment of Rs 3,669.4 crore out of these 18 proposed IT projects.

“Almost all IT companies, which have proposed to set up their projects in the State have confirmed their participation in the meeting," informed an official of the state-owned Punjab Information and Communication Technology Corporation Ltd (Infotech).